Many people, particularly disabled people, find it difficult getting in and out of bed. The reasons for this are many but include:                a) general muscle weakness because of age, sickness, disease, low mental ability or balance, obesity; and        b) inability or difficulty of movement because of surgery, hip replacement or back injury.        
Caregivers for this type of patient also have problems with caring for the patient. Among their concerns are manual handling injury caused by helping the patient in and out of bed and back injuries from having to stoop over a low bed when tending to a patient. Surface shear on the patient skin as the patient is being transferred on and off the bed, or as the mattress profiles under the body of the patient, can also be an issue.
Existing solutions include:    1. Powered Leg Lifters
These work with some people but many people cannot use them because:                a) they lack the required muscle strength to balance on the bed as their feet are being raised;        b) they cannot use the handset controller that is typically required for use of the product;        c) they do not have the ability to move their feet off the leg lifter foot rest and onto the bed; and        d) they do not like the appearance of the leg lifter beside their bed.            2. Chair Beds
These are basically recliner chairs with a mattress topper pad for extra comfort. Some chair beds have additional width to simulate a bed and some are made with customized seat depth and height to suit the user's posture and stature.
Chair beds work with some people but many people cannot use them because:                a) the mattress platform does not lie completely flat and therefore they are not able to roll onto their sides for comfort while sleeping;        b) the mattress platform is always too short. This is because the seat height determines the length of the leg rest. When the leg rest raises to the horizontal position their feet are left hanging over the end of the leg rest and are therefore unsupported;        c) the chair bed looks like a chair and not a bed and therefore can be rejected as a bedroom item; and        d) the chair bed is a fixed height and is therefore at a very low position for care giving tasks.            3. Bed Chairs
These typically provide a full bed which is convertible into a chair-like form. The disadvantages include:                a) poor ergonomic design which make them very uncomfortable to sit in and use;        b) the motors are slow and work independently which means users have to know which button to push and for how long in order to get the sit to lie action working properly;        c) they are very heavy to transport; and        d) some try to solve the problem of the feet hanging over the end of the mattress by providing a foot plate which rises with the leg rest and prevents a user's feet coming off the end of the mattress, but the result is that the patient's body is either pushed up into the mattress or their legs become bent. When in the lie flat position their feet also end up being pushed hard against the foot rest which can be cold and uncomfortable.            4. Inflatable Chairs:            a) these are designed to hoist a person into and therefore do not support independent transfer on and off the bed;        b) they do not lie completely flat; and        c) feet are typically left unsupported when in the horizontal position.        
The reference to any prior art in the specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that the prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in any country.